Sweden's Palestinian Lobbyists

The Swedish municipality of Malmö, with only 318,000 inhabitants, is providing tens of thousands of dollars in tax revenues each year to organizations that spread extreme anti-Israeli messages.

Apelgårdsskolan elementary school in Malmö lends its premises on Sundays to an association called Framtidsföreningen ["The Future Society"]. The organization holds a Sunday school, where, among other things, maps are handed out to children where Israel has been removed, and schoolbooks are distributed in which "resistance" against Israel is celebrated. Framtidsföreningen has also received $4500 from Malmö's recreational board since 2014.

That pro-Palestinian organizations will use tax-funded operations as a tool to spread hatred against Israel is a given. This means that organizations that spread hatred against Israel in Sweden in many cases have tax revenues at their disposal at several levels.

There are no effective lobbying organizations in Sweden that fight for the cause of Israel.

In recent years, aid that finances hatred against Israel has received much attention. Organizations such as NGO Monitor have shown time and again how European countries and international organizations provide financial support to projects in which the sole purpose is to spread lies about Israel and erode its legitimacy as a nation.

But the European war going on against Israel has deeper presence and is more widespread than just some European governments or international organizations providing assistance to organizations that are spreading hatred against Israel.

The Swedish municipality of Malmö, for instance, with only 318,000 inhabitants, is providing tens of thousands of dollars in tax revenues each year to organizations that spread extreme anti-Israeli messages.

The association Kontrakultur has, since 2012, received $167,000 in tax revenues from the municipality of Malmö. If you visit the website of Kontrakultur, you can see that two of their partners are the International Solidarity Movement Sweden and Isolera Israel ["Isolate Israel"]. Both the International Solidarity Movement and Isolera Israel are organizations that have extreme views on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Both organizations say they believe that Israel is an apartheid state conducting ethnic cleansing and is to be boycotted; they support Palestinian terrorism against Israelis, which they call "resistance."

When Isolera Israel in March 2015 carried out a campaign during "Israel Apartheid Week," when they sent out "apartheid inspectors" to Malmö's stores to encourage shop owners to remove Israeli products, they had their headquarters located on premises owned by the municipality of Malmö.

Apelgårdsskolan elementary school in Malmö lends its premises on Sundays to an association called Framtidsföreningen ["The Future Society"]. The organization holds a Sunday school, where, among other things, children are given maps from which Israel has been removed, and schoolbooks are distributed in which "resistance" against Israel is celebrated.

Framtidsföreningen has no business being in a Swedish school: it is a pro-Palestinian association that cooperates with organizations such as International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza, one of the founding organizations behind the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

Apelgårdsskolan is located in the area of Rosengård, which is, according to Swedish police, a "particularly vulnerable" area. According to the Swedish police's definition, there are, among other things in "particularly vulnerable" areas, parallel society structures, extremism, people traveling to take part in combat in conflict areas and a high concentration of crime. That the municipality of Malmö makes it possible to spread hatred against Israel among children in such an area is enabling a future war against Israel.

In addition to having used municipal premises to indoctrinate young children that Israel does not exist and teaching children that they should carry out militant actions against Israel, Framtidsföreningen has also received $4500 from Malmö's recreational board since 2014.

Apelgårdsskolan elementary school in Malmö (left) lends its premises to an association that holds a Sunday school, where children are given maps from which Israel has been removed, and books distributed in which "resistance" against Israel is celebrated. Right: Hillevi Larsson, a Social Democratic Member of Parliament representing a district of Malmö, shows off a Palestinian flag and a "map of Palestine" in which Israel does not exist.

Although these might seem shocking details to any sensible person, this kind of activity is normal in Sweden. Tobias Pettersson, Chairman of the pro-Israeli think tank Perspektiv På Israel ["Perspective on Israel"], sent information about Framtidsföreningen to Malmö's largest newspaper, Sydsvenskan. However, the newspaper's journalists responded that the subject was not something for them to cover.

No newspaper in Sweden has written anything about these events. The anti-racist organization Motargument ["Counterpoint"] wrote a blog about the events in Apelgårdsskolan but tried to downplay the incident by saying that it was just a matter of "Arabic-speaking pupils" who were having "Palestinian studies."

On March 3, the organization "Malmö's Young Muslims" held a lecture on municipal premises about "Palestinian lobbying in Sweden." This lecture was directed at young people and held by Adnan Abou-Chakra, a person who among other things, acts as translator when Hamas writes articles for Swedish newspapers. This lecture also took place in Rosengård. It is a mystery for anyone why a Swedish municipality should make it possible for young people to learn about "Palestinian lobbying in Sweden."

These are just some examples of how pro-Palestinian organizations that spread hatred against Israel or have extreme views on the Israel-Palestine conflict have created a local infrastructure in Malmö, financed by taxes.

They have managed to do this through effective lobbying. Beside the Sweden Democrats, there is no political party in Malmö that sees any of this as a problem. That pro-Palestinian organizations will use tax-funded operations as a tool to spread hatred against Israel is a given. This means that organizations in Sweden that spread hatred against Israel in many cases have tax revenues at their disposal at several levels.

While there are pro-Palestinian organizations on the municipal school premises that indoctrinate children that Israel is not on the map and teach young people how they should conduct lobbying on behalf of Palestinian causes, there are no effective lobbying organizations in Sweden that fight for the cause of Israel.

While municipal tax revenues go to organizations that spread hatred against Israel, the local synagogue is financing its own security without any financial support from the city of Malmö. Such an inequitable situation in itself shows how effective the pro-Palestinian groups have been in their lobbying.

Even when someone fights against anti-Semitism in Sweden, it is expected that the person condemn Israel. Siavosh Derakhti, who has received several awards for his fight against anti-Semitism in Sweden, and who met President Obama in 2013, wrote the following about Israel in an article from 2011; he tells young Muslims in Sweden why they should distance themselves from anti-Semitism:

"But we must also be critical of Israeli policies and military. Where there is oppression and discrimination against civilians in Palestine, we must show courage and hope for the future. We need to influence our politicians so that they can take up the fight in parliament and hopefully strengthen demands against Israeli policy and listen to the young people. The children and the civilian population in Palestine should live in peace and live in freedom. Israel must cease its military attacks and discrimination and the oppression against the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank and Gaza. I think our politicians show little support for the Palestinians and the European Union must have the courage to strengthen the tone against Israel, possibly threatening a boycott if things continue. The attacks against the civilian population of Palestine must end. The world should boycott cooperation with Israel, as long as the country carries out attacks against civilians in Palestine."

Even the one person in Sweden who has been praised for his struggle against anti-Semitism evidently feels compelled to remind people how evil Israel is, and in contradiction to the facts on the ground there. Derakhti's approach towards Israel may also explain why he has received awards from the Swedish establishment.

The Palestinians may not be able to run a country, as the chaos in the Palestinian territories demonstrates, but they can apparently run Swedish politics better than anyone. As long as this imbalance, composed of Palestinian lobbying activities at all levels of Swedish policy-making -- from local to national -- exists, and is unopposed by any real lobbying for Israel's cause, then Sweden will be a pro-Palestinian country with a pro-Palestinian establishment.

This disinformation and imbalance also ensure that Swedish taxpayers, at all levels, support operations that spread hatred against Israel.

It is not that Swedish politicians have misunderstood anything, except facts about Israel; it is that a pro-Palestinian lobby has been very successful and has achieved all its goals, while whoever supports Israel has been either silent or passive and not taken to heart how effective grassroots organizations can be. You can be very charming, and if you are building pro-Palestinian grassroots organizations, it is easy to convince Swedish politicians.

There are many people who now analyze Sweden and ask how this country in northern Europe could recognize a State of Palestine so quickly and criticize Israel so much. It is the pro-Palestinian lobbying organizations that have caused this to happen. The only way to reverse the trend is to build or support effective pro-Israeli lobby organizations that are as ambitious as the pro-Palestinian lobby organizations.

If the people who support Israel do not confront these pro-Palestinian lobbyists, more countries like Sweden will become platforms from which to delegitimize Israel. This European confrontation is essential and of the most urgent, strategic importance.

Nima Gholam Ali Pour is a member of the board of education in the Swedish city of Malmö and is engaged in several Swedish think tanks concerned with the Middle East. He is also editor for the social conservative website Situation Malmö.

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14 Reader Comments

robert davis • Mar 22, 2016 at 05:07

It's impossible for Israel to defend itself in every country of the world and if the Israeli "leaders" had only half the intelligence of politicians of other nations, they would understand ISRAEL'S DEFENSE CAN ONLY EXIST IN ISRAEL. The PM MUST declare sovereignty to stop these pressures and LIES about "Palestinian territories" which produce hate against Israel and Jews. Maybe his work would be a little difficult for a FEW DAYS but what are a few days compared to endless pressures since years and decades? Thereafter eviction will be logically applied and the conflict would be over for ever. What kind of cowards are these Israeli "leaders" who dare not suffer a small surgery?

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Harvey • Mar 20, 2016 at 18:27

The Sweden we once knew will soon disappear along with a great deal of Western Europe if they think there migrants from the Middle East will behave themselves its just NOT in their arrogant culture.

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Feliks • Mar 20, 2016 at 04:42

In the latest report from Swedish State Security Police (SÄPO) in its latest report p49 says:

"There is factors that can contribute to reduce the terror threat to Sweden. Sweden recognized Palestine as a state 2014, it is an example that sends signals abroad that can reduce the terrorist threat. To estimate the level of danger will be affected by many different factors."

So the city of Malmö's policy to become "Jew free zone" is part of its policy against terrorism.

Similar logic to its struggle to become a "nuclear free zone", to protect the city against a nuclear attack from Russia.

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Valerie Aversa • Mar 20, 2016 at 03:47

I thought that the Swedes would have a greater insight into the Palestine/Israel situation.

Unfortunately, judging from the way they have been and are still being treated by the Moslem majority of refugees in Sweden who are causing havoc and mayhem - it is a wonder that they can be so stupid and brainless as to believe and spread such lies and misinformation about a country living in the Middle East and dealing with these barbarians and have been for over 70 years now. I believe Sweden has become the Rape Capital of Europe and that crime has increased at least 100% and that a vast majority of the refugees are all living on Welfare.

In fact there are more Palestinians living in Israel and attending universities and treated like human beings than those living in Palestine. The Swedes certainly need educating and studying for themselves to see how Hamas and other terrorist groups are manipulatingthe Palestinians to do all they can to eradicate Israel in it's steps to take over the world.

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sculptor • Mar 19, 2016 at 13:53

Sweden is finished. God said to Abraham and his legitimate descendants through Isaac, 'I will bless those who bless you and those who curse you I will curse'. Sit back and watch the show.

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Frances Weingarten • Mar 19, 2016 at 10:53

How foolish are the Swedes to believe Palestinian propaganda and lies and how naive the Israelis not to recognize the need for providing information detailing the true nature of the Palestinians. Videos and articles that the Palestinians create in abundance would go a long way in making clear who and what the Palestinians actually are and what they hope for and are intent on creating. They teach hatred of and death to all Israelis, they indoctrinate their children with their evil lies, they teach them that Israel does not exist and that all of the country is Palestine and must be taken from the Jews. If the Swedes were better informed by Israel and other countries as well, their support for the Palestinians and their cause might lessen and even disappear.

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Bob Swede • Mar 19, 2016 at 08:57

Big difference between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionist. Sweden has changed in the last months. Nearly all media has eliminated their comment sections and blame it on trolls. Freedom of expression has ceased to exist in Sweden.

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Dean • Mar 19, 2016 at 07:55

As Swedes practice non-stop antisemitism, Israel will get the last laugh as Swedes are overtaken by Islamists and leftists bent on giving away Sweden. When one's culture and beliefs become so unimportant to the general population and the country begins to instruct their children to believe in the worst ideologies as they excoriate Jews and Christians, the end is near. Israel knows how to deal with reality, Swedes are now in the business of self-destruction and destruction of any country that stands in the way of the strangulation of Western society.

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Esther Kaplan • Mar 19, 2016 at 07:50

Who would have thought Sweden, that land we learned to live in our elementary school geography books, would turn out to be a leader in antisemitism? Bit of a downer, that.

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Robin Rosenblatt • Mar 19, 2016 at 07:35

The EU and Britain are entering the New Islamic Dark Age. Enjoy! INVASION OF EUROPE

If you thought Israel had problems, take a look at this:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/44vzMNG2fZc

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Albert • Mar 19, 2016 at 06:26

Stop buying Swedish products! Wait a minute! What is Sweden making I should not buy? The cheap stuff at IKEA? That's it? How difficult is it to stop buying at IKEA?

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Ken Harrow • Mar 19, 2016 at 06:04

Hi - Thanks for the news and articles which you produce and send out - Is there no possibility of Israel having an English speaking TV station similar to Al Jazeera? I know some people will brand it as Israeli propaganda - but there must be many like me who want to hear the truth. Perhaps Gatestone of Honest Reporting should run with this. Surely there are Jewish people who would help to finance this?

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Ruth • Mar 19, 2016 at 05:38

Nima Gholam Ali Pour presents a sobering image of the current pro-Palestinian and often anti-semitic atmosphere in Sweden. I imagine that this doesn't come as a surprise to anyone following the situation in this beautiful country, a country which has lost its way in a desperate desire to be politically correct and appease its largest minority.

If the Swedish authorities constantly ignore the sex attacks by Muslims on so many Swedish women, then why should they be bothered with something so trivial as anti-Semitism and hatred of Israel?

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viraj Ruth • May 6, 2016 at 10:23

Why is the West Europe so desperate to accommodate the migrants?

Can't the low fertility rate among the native population be corrected?Can't the youngsters do what the migrants are meant for? Why can't some other European nation which is not doing well be asked to send over their people? Why the shift towards Asians/Africans?

People from the Indian Subcontinent find it difficult to enter European nations and these people get in (especially as they did through Eastern Europe) as if it's their land. There is strife everywhere. Are they all to be accommodated? No. Isn't it? And why should Germans feel guilty about what Hitler did? Do the Russians feel guilty about Stalin, who killed more people than Hitler did?

I am from India and have no issues for or against anybody. However, I would certainly like to know why this quest for manpower and at what risk?Who knows after 40 years how these people will behave? Again I am not anti-anybody but the Western nations are fully aware of the slogans of some of the settlers who have openly talked about (I don't recall where I read it, or else I would have provided the source) creating a White Muslim Race. With malice towards none, thanks.

Dr. Shakil Afridi, a Pakistani physician who helped the U.S. locate Osama bin Laden, has been in jail in Pakistan since he was arrested days after the raid on bin Laden's compound in 2011. In 2013, he was granted a retrial, with a new charge that appears politically motivated: charged with murder in regard to the death, eight years earlier, of a patient he had treated. Afridi has gone on a hunger strike protest his unspeakable prison conditions -- including torture. His former lawyer, Samiullah Khan Afridi, was murdered by the Taliban in March 2015. The Obama Administration appears to have abandoned him.